You think your reputation is excellent. After all: Your recruitment video is top-notch. Your “brand ambassadors” are the best on campus. Your marketing materials are beyond compare. But your news coverage is kind of…pesky. Employees “talking trash,” who never took their case to you before “spilling it.” Consider these examples: The U.S. Customs and BorderRead… Read more »
Why does the federal government, a supposedly national symbol for diversity, continue to celebrate Columbus Day? This holiday does little to promote diversity and inclusion for American Indians/Alaska Natives. It celebrates the legacy of a man, Christopher Columbus, who committed egregious atrocities against Indigenous people. Could this be a contributing factor to American Indian/Alaska NativeRead… Read more »
Champions of performance management in government are confounded. After decades of trying to integrate the use of performance information into agency decision-making, it still isn’t happening on as broad a scale as once hoped. The initial premise twenty years ago was that if performance information was made readily available, it would be used by agencyRead… Read more »
The new federal fiscal year is upon us and with it comes new opportunity and a chance for fresh beginnings. In reality, astute leaders are always looking and planning ahead, so just because the turning of a calendar page indicates a new year, it doesn’t mean new thinking and foresight waits for that day. You’veRead… Read more »
There has been a lot of focus on external innovation but what about creating an organization that is consistently innovative internally. This requires that leadership put in place an innovation strategy. Like many leadership initiatives, innovation requires persistency, advocacy and a culture to support it. Throw in technology and you have what I have dubbedRead… Read more »
Want to know how to impress hiring managers? It takes one to know one, as the saying goes. So the best way to understand hiring managers is to become one. You may be able to do so by volunteering to help screen résumés at your current job. (Contrary to popular belief, the “Human” hasn’t yetRead… Read more »
Have you been putting off a tough conversation? Stewing about it? Losing sleep over it for days? (I’ve got one coming up that I’ve been dreading!) We tend to put off difficult conversations, whether we’re needing to confront a coworker, ask a boss for a raise, bring up behavioral issues with a subordinate, or discussRead… Read more »
We all understand how important it is to maintain frequent, open, and direct communications among IT project team members. In fact, one of the biggest challenges that managers face is in establishing and keeping these lines open. Challenges often arise because, it seems, many IT professionals tend to be introverted – shy about speaking up,Read… Read more »
As I negotiate inclusion trainings with busy supervisors and managers in the federal government, I am often asked, “Boil inclusion down to a couple of talking points for me.” Know Yourself This is often the most difficult first step. Most of us go through life without fully know ourselves by identifying our personal beliefs, biasesRead… Read more »
Recruitment incentives are another of the 3R bonuses available to federal agencies to help them find the most talented individuals to fill open positions. Here, we discuss when this incentive can be applied and whether you may be able to qualify for or use one. What are they? Recruitment incentives are paid to newly appointedRead… Read more »